


Trial by Spitfire

by ArtForRogue



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adoption, Divorced Shiro, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, M/M, Not Epilogue Compliant, Parenthood, Pining, Shiro POV, Single Parent Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 11:07:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20929202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtForRogue/pseuds/ArtForRogue
Summary: Rumor has it that Keith Kogane is bringing someone to the annual dinner this year. When Shiro learns that Keith has adopted a Galran daughter, he makes it his personal mission to earn her approval.It's only when Shiro meets the kit that he realizes Keith might love him too.





	Trial by Spitfire

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to [Kika](https://twitter.com/B1ackPa1adins) for agreeing to be my beta! 
> 
> This is sappy and maybe an excuse to make a Galra OC  
Hope you enjoy!

It had been five years since the loss of the Lions. Though balance was restored to the known universe through the Lions’ sacrifice, Shiro still couldn’t help but think of the residual chaos that plagued him for one reason, and one reason only — that he and Keith were not together. 

It had been an internal struggle of Shiro’s for ages now, both when he returned following Kerberos and later, when Keith returned haloed by confidence and self-assured lethality that had struck Shiro right in his heart. 

He loved Keith. Has loved Keith for some time now. 

But something had changed following their final battle to save the universe -- that fragile string that kept them inseparable snapped and left both of them listing uselessly in dead space. 

Keith went with Krolia and Kolivan to New Daibazaal and Shiro was left on Earth to pilot the IGF-Atlas, and though they tried desperately to make their long-distance friendship last, Shiro’s inevitable bitterness about being grounded made his replies too few and far between to allow for anything healthy. 

Yet he still loved Keith. He was sick with it; the most damning evidence being his pathetic attempt at marriage. Curtis hadn’t deserved his mediocre attentions but had accepted them regardless, and the following divorce that mocked them a year later was a surprise to no one. Keith offered his condolences and nothing more, a careful mix of sympathetic and nonchalant over the video call. 

The others were not so gentle in their obvious displeasure. No one much cared for Curtis outside of business formalities, and Allura had personally asked what Shiro thought to gain in even dating the other man.  _ The obvious choice is Keith _ , they bemoaned,  _ he loves you!  _

Is it not love to let him grow, then?

All Shiro could offer at that time was a grounded ship and meager hours together. It wasn’t until about year three that Atlas was more self-sufficient and by then Shiro had inadvertently pushed Keith away. ‘ _ He’s doing great things all because of your selflessness _ ,’ Shiro had assured himself, pride and love twisting in his gut as he watched the news report of New Daibazaal’s leaps and bounds. _ _

But Shiro wasn’t selfless. He was scared. Their friendship had long dissolved under the pressure of distance — what would make a romantic relationship work any better? Even when Shiro could kiss his husband everyday, it didn’t work. To ruin Keith, as he had ruined Adam and Curtis, was the worst thing Shiro could think of. 

So when their annual dinner popped up as a reminder on his calendar, Shiro tried to swallow down his excitement at seeing Keith in the flesh. He had been too eager last year and near ruined it all with a welcoming hug that lasted too long and squeezed just a touch too tight. Keith had laughed it off and thrown out a quip about Shiro’s new glasses, but both of them felt the shared warmth for hours later. Shiro could tell with just the sidelong glances alone. 

He'd ached to kiss Keith goodbye; had settled for touching his shoulder, instead. The hurt settled in Keith’s violet eyes was enough to haunt Shiro to the approaching dinner. 

It was actually Hunk that surprised Shiro two days prior to the anniversary. 

“I heard Keith is bringing his kid this year.” Hunk frowned down at the diplomacy briefings, perhaps perplexed by the thought of their newest ectoplasm Coalition members, but still aware enough to talk about Keith as if it was simple news. “I can’t wait to meet her.” 

Simple for Hunk, yes, but the news left Shiro ablaze. A child? Keith had a child? When did this happen? His communications with Keith were sparse, yes, but this kind of news usually came up before ‘ _ Energy cells out here are rising in price _ ’ and  _ ‘Do you think I should cut my hair? _ ’. Shiro couldn’t even form a follow up, shocked to the point of open-mouthed gaping. 

Shiro’s silence must have been telling, because Hunk finally looked up. “Oh, dude, did you not know? Shoot. Maybe it was supposed to be a surprise.” 

The genuine upset expression coloring Hunk’s features made Shiro quick to reach out and assure him that, no, no, it was fine. “I didn’t realize Keith was -- that this was something he wanted.” 

“I don’t think Keith did, either.” Hunk shrugged. “I’ll let him give you all the good story bits, but I think it really boiled down to him seeing too many kids just like him out there in our starry backyard. Keith’s got a good heart, for how much the universe has put him through.” 

Shiro melted at the sentiment, smiling as he said, “Yeah. Yeah, he’s amazing. Anyone would be lucky to be part of his life.” He thought of the daughter that would be joining them in a few days and felt a rush of protectiveness. “I should ask Keith if he needs anything extra for her arrival.” 

“But then he’ll know I told you.” Hunk whined, comical in tone as he hid his face behind the stack of paper. Shiro laughed good-heartedly at the motion, leaving Hunk with the promise that he wouldn’t tell. 

The time difference between Earth and the X-999 galaxy that Keith was currently passing through meant that Shiro had to wake up at three in the morning to see if their signals would connect, but thankfully the video feed looked good when Keith finally popped up. 

Shiro tried to remember the last time they had talked, couldn’t come up with a timeline, and swallowed down his guilt to replace it with a smile. “Keith.” 

The trip home had left Keith looking relaxed; he greeted Shiro with a smile of his own, seated in his pilot’s chair casually. Shiro had to fight to keep his eyes trained on Keith, but only because he was curious for any signs of a child he may have missed on their last call. “Shiro. You know I’m arriving on Earth in two days, right?” 

The familiar teasing lilt brought Shiro’s attention right back. “Sure. I just heard an interesting rumor.” When Keith only raised his eyebrows, Shiro continued with, “That you’re bringing someone this year.” 

Keith dissolved into a pout that looked way too cute for how old he was. “Quiznak. Hunk told you?” 

“Was I not supposed to know?” Shiro asked. 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Keith waved a hand in dismissal, though he still looked peeved by Hunk’s slip-up. “It isn’t meant to be a secret. Just, I guess...a surprise? I didn’t want two full days of Lance bothering me about the adoption details. I wanted to limit that to Earth time, exclusively.” 

“You definitely shouldn’t have told Hunk if you didn’t want  _ Lance  _ to know.” Shiro laughed. 

“Well, Lance hasn’t called me about it yet. You did.” Keith blinked at the screen in silent questioning, but voiced it when Shiro refused to budge. “Did you just need confirmation we’ll need another seat at the table?” 

Right. Shiro had called for a reason. Because long gone were the days where Shiro just called Keith casually. He bit down the bitterness at the thought and said, “I just wanted to hear it from you. I was surprised. But...adoption?” 

“Yeah. She’s asleep right now, otherwise I’d have her up here with me.” The fondness that steeped into his voice was achingly familiar; a kind of Keith-shaped love reserved for those who deserved it. “I’ve only been officially a dad for seven Earth months. It’s weird, Shiro, but I really like it. More than I thought I would.” 

There had been more than one shared conversation about parenthood as they had grown older; Shiro remembered Keith’s unshed tears as he wondered if he would ever be as good a father as his own. At that time, Shiro felt comfortable in touching his hand, in leaning close and telling him with whole-hearted assurance that Keith would make the best father in the universe because it was obvious how much he cared. 

Now, Shiro worked to contain the pride bubbling in his chest. 

“What’s her name?” He found himself asking. 

“Ku.” Keith laughed at Shiro’s indignant look, explaining, “It’s short for Lukku. She’s the one who insisted on the nickname -- don’t give me that look.” 

“When are you going to add some variety to your family tree, Keith?” Shiro teased, leaning forward on his elbows and sinking into the mattress he rested on. “I’m starting to think it’s a requirement.” 

“We’ve agreed on a few exceptions. For now, Ku is the only addition.” The fact that Keith felt it especially important to remind Shiro that, yes, he was still single, hurt more than anything. Was he really that obvious?

“You know that’s not what I was asking for.” Shiro still tried to defend himself regardless, cheeks betraying him with their faint dusting of red blush. 

Keith wasn’t having it. “I found her in an abandoned druid lab with fifteen others. We were able to find homes for everyone except her.” There was a quiet fury there, a story Shiro might never know the full truth of. “It was a story I was too familiar with.” 

“Ku is a lucky girl.” 

“I’m luckier.” Keith settled back into his seat, some of the tension bleeding from him when it became obvious that Shiro wasn’t going to press things. He rubbed his thumb over his knuckles, unknowing, and Shiro hated that he had caused even a drop of worry to pool in Keith’s heart. 

“Can Earth provide anything extra for her?” Shiro asked when enough awkward silence passed between them. 

“Actually,” Keith met Shiro’s gaze again and smiled, “what do you know about Kpop?” 

  
  


…

Despite everyone banding together to welcome both Keith and his daughter to Earth, Shiro felt his stomach drop when the request for landing permissions came through. He and Hunk hurried to the hangar as permission was granted -- they met Pidge halfway and went as a trio to greet their friend. 

The ship was new, at least to Shiro. She was a conspicuous black, tight and sleek with only red lights as her allotted pop of color. Even though they would be meeting on Earth this year, Shiro had a feeling Pidge would request that Keith fly her around, if just to dissect his pretty new toy from the inside-out. 

Her port door opened with a hiss and a cloud of steam. 

Keith stepped out as tall and lithe and beautiful as ever with a wee kit in his arms. He smiled in greeting to his friends, crossing the distance between them until Shiro could finally make out the features of his daughter. 

She was maybe five years old -- small enough to still be carried, but old enough to no longer require it. She was unmistakably Galra with her purple fur and matching lavender skin, but like most mixes, had more hair than actual fur. At twenty feet between the groups, she went from holding onto Keith’s Blade suit to curling around his throat, feet kicking into his chest as she tried to hide herself behind him. 

But Keith was stubborn, whispering something to her as her hackles raised in warning. Hunk and Pidge quieted their excited chattering out of respect for the clearly terrified child and waited alongside Shiro as Keith slowed to a stop. 

A glint of light caught on the closing hangar doors, illuminating Keith and Ku. It was then that Shiro noticed the collar around her throat. 

_ Abandoned druid lab _ , Keith had said. Were it not for the metal collar about her throat, Shiro wouldn’t have been able to tell. She looked well-fed and rested, loved from the tops of her pointed ears to the bottom of her dusty black boots. 

Keith pressed a kiss to Ku’s forehead and she finally relaxed enough to look at the welcoming party. An additional whisper of encouragement was all it took for Ku to finally stop trying to hide. She was still shy when Keith finally closed the distance in the hangar, but her blue eyes were wide with curiosity instead of fear now. 

Pidge was the first to step forward.

“Heya, Ku.” She murmured, voice muted for the child’s benefit. “I’m Pidge.” 

Ku lifted her head from Keith’s shoulder and reached out her hand, mouth slightly agape when Pidge took it in both of her’s. Hunk was next, slow as he approached. Ku offered her hand to him, too, and finally smiled when Hunk told her about the cookies he had baked for the trip. 

When it came Shiro’s turn to greet the child, she  _ hissed.  _

Pidge burst out laughing. When Shiro turned his surprised gaze to her, she only shook her head, still giggling. “Keith, oh my god --” 

Keith looked just as surprised, cheeks red with embarrassment when Ku clacked her fangs together in clear threat. “I -- I, uh -- Ku, this is  _ Shiro  _ \-- he’s a friend too, just like Pidge and Hunk.” 

But the child didn’t look convinced and Shiro didn’t press things by reaching out. 

“Ku --” Obviously determined to redeem himself, Keith looked ready to scold, but Ku just whined and squirmed until she dropped to the ground. Hunk was the closest so she went to him, hiding behind him as the rest of them stared. 

“Whoa, hey little one,” Hunk reached back for the little girl clinging to his leg and ruffled her hair until she closed her eyes with bliss. “Guess Shiro is a little scary, huh?” 

“I’m sorry." Keith deflated at Ku’s clear rebellion. 

It stung in a way Shiro hadn’t expected, but he kept his expression carefully amused. “It’s fine, Keith.” It really wasn’t, but Shiro didn’t have a definitive reason for needing Ku’s approval, so he kept things simple. 

To their surprise, Keith started signing to Ku. She let go of Hunk’s leg to sign back then hissed again. 

“You know ASL?” Shiro blurted.

“The collar prevents her from talking.” Pidge explained as Keith continued to communicate with his daughter. “I suggested teaching her ASL until I finished preparations for getting the collar off safely.” 

Keith frowned at Ku’s responding motions and rolled his eyes before turning to Pidge. “Thank you again for looking into that. And the ASL vids.”

“I can’t wait to hear all she has to say.” Pidge just grinned. 

“You’re just missing out on her being a brat.” Keith smiled fondly even as he said it, looking down at Ku as she soundlessly giggled. 

They fell into simpler conversation as they made their way to the control room. Ku remained by Hunk’s side, holding his pinky as they walked as her hand was too small to properly curl into Hunk’s grasp. Shiro fell into step with Keith, nodding along as he described their journey from the new Blade of Marmora headquarters, but he was absolutely distracted by Ku’s excited little kicks against the tiled floor. 

They eventually split into two groups -- Keith and Pidge to the lab to get the collar off, and Hunk and Shiro to contact Allura for the wormhole. Wanting to promote goodwill, Shiro waved to Ku as she moved from Hunk to Keith, but she only frowned at him. 

“I’m sure she’ll warm up to you, Shiro.” Hunk’s words of encouragement weren’t welcome, but Shiro put on a smile and thanked him anyway. 

…

  
  


Even with Ku’s collar off, it had done enough damage to her vocal chords that she had to remain mute. Allura had promised to look at the child once they arrived, convinced she could heal her, but Shiro could tell Keith hated making Ku wait even another hour. Ku herself did not look particularly bothered by the turn of events, just kept a hand rubbing the sore skin along her neck as she explored the Atlas deck. 

“She’s resilient,” Shiro mentioned offhand as they waited for the wormhole. 

Keith only smiled and shrugged, eyes on her as he said, “She’s my spitfire.” 

The term of endearment was accurate, at the very least, even before Keith explained to them how Ku came into his life. “I found her in a Blades food storage container in the early morning. There was barely any light out so all I saw when I opened the door were her glowing eyes. Scared the shit out of me. Then I saw all the rations she had managed to tear out of the packaging.” He took a moment to punch in the confirming coordinates for Allura, their ship now safely through the wormhole. 

Shiro had been surprised when Keith asked to help on the Atlas deck, but felt a secret thrill as he got to watch Keith gesture and emote with the story while Pidge and Hunk listened from the landing strip. There was something mystical about Keith’s violet eyes going molten when recalling fond memories. 

“The planet had only been liberated for a few days, but her clothes were like -- they were like what I had found you in, Shiro, when you came back. It didn’t make any sense. But she was still just a kit, so I tried to be y’know, reassuring when I approached her. Then she pulls a  _ gun  _ on me.” 

Shiro hears Pidge ask,  _ ‘how was her aim _ ’ through the comm but he can see the scene as vividly as if he were there. A starved Galra kit, hands trembling, holding a gun near too heavy for her exhausted limbs. Fear fell away probably two, three days ago, if she hadn’t had access to water either. Victory or death. 

“I managed to get it from her without hurting her, but the little spitfire bit through my suit and wouldn’t let go till I peeled open a ration bar for her. At this point we had no way to communicate, but she could tell I want to help with her touch telepathy so she led me to the lab where the rest of em were left to die. She was the youngest -- the only one able to fit through the vents and get food.” 

Shiro is painfully aware of the kit sitting in Keith’s lap, her eyes trained on Shiro through the whole story. Where Keith’s violet eyes held the vibrancy of a galaxy, her blue were like the deepest, emptiest part of the ocean.

Shiro wondered if she felt the same, looking at him. 

“All the other kids were touch telepaths like her -- used by the druids to get information from war prisoners, then forced quiet by the collars when they started to talk to each other too much. They were all mixes with the locals so I guess for the kids it only goes one way. But the collar on her neck was defective somehow and wouldn’t come off like the other’s. Forcing it off would have killed her.” Keith reached down and combed his fingers through her hair, watching as she nuzzled into the affectionate gesture. 

“Maybe it got caught in the vents.” Shiro said, watching too. 

“Maybe.” Keith moved his scratches up to her curved ears and laughed when she swatted at him. “I still owe Pidge a thousand favors.” 

“Let me ride in your pretty ship before you leave and we’ll call it even.” Pidge immediately provided. Keith just laughed again. 

Shiro raised his gaze to the comms to join in the laughter when he felt the faintest touch against his hand. He looked down, startled, and once more was pinned by Ku’s stare. Her dark blue eyes were no longer so cold but instead felt soothing, like a silent song that only broke when Ku blinked slow and turned away. 

Panic shot through Shiro fast.

As a touch telepath, what all did Ku see when taking Shiro’s hand? Maybe nothing worse than she had already been through, but Shiro didn’t want to upset her any more than his presence alone seemed to. He felt sick at knowing that whatever chance he might have had to earn Ku’s approval may have just been ruined without even an ounce of his own input. 

But there was no grand upset from the little girl. She stayed perfectly still in Keith’s lap as he continued to talk of their other shared adventures, the movement of her pointed ears the only indicator that she was even listening. Then, when a few minutes had passed, Shiro realized she was staring at him again. 

The bubbling hope for a second chance made Shiro smile at her. 

Ku did not return the smile; instead she closed her eyes slow and butted her head hard into Keith’s shoulder, startling him from his story to look at Shiro. 

They fell silent for a moment, and in that silence Shiro swore he could hear purring. 

…

The time spent waiting for the arrival of their Altean friends quickly became unbearably awkward. Ku fell asleep in Keith’s lap and damned them to silence too quickly, both a blessing and a curse. There is so much Shiro still had to discuss with Keith, but neither man could bear the thought of accidentally waking the kit, so they waited. 

Shiro caught Keith watching him from time to time, quick glances from the side that never turned into anything. 

It reminded him of his days in the Black Lion with Keith when they were heading home to Earth. Keith always looked so expectant, though Shiro could never remember why, as all his clone’s memories were wiped clean the moment Allura pulled his consciousness from Black. He would meet Keith’s hesitant smile with his own, curious when Keith looked away faster each time they caught each other’s eye. 

Eventually, there came a time where Keith wouldn’t look at him at all. For the first time in a long time, Shiro wondered what his clone had done to Keith in his absence. 

There wasn’t much time to mull it over, though, as the ship they had been waiting for exited the wormhole a few minutes before their expected time. 

Their welcome to the planet was quiet even though it was their five-year anniversary. Allura greeted them all a bit too eagerly for how stunningly pregnant she was, but silenced any complaints before they could even be voiced. Coran was right there with her, squeezing them all in a group hug after successfully bribing Ku with a traditional Altean toy. 

Lance was the first to get to hold Ku. Though Keith looked none too fond of the idea, the kit’s excited enthusiasm about meeting all three -- Lance included -- spoke leagues for how he really felt. Shiro suspected that Hunk and Pidge had been the first to meet her to warm her up to the idea of his friends before dumping her into kisses and hugs galore from Allura, Coran, Lance, and Romelle. 

It wasn’t long into the catch-up that Allura pulled both Keith and Ku aside to fulfill her earlier promise. They all huddled around as Allura worked her magic, silent when Ku’s eyes dilated at the first shock of quintessence. 

For what it was, the healing didn’t take long. 

The first thing they heard was Ku’s interested purr as Allura pulled her hands back, so loud and startling that Keith laughed with surprise. “Ku?” he prompted when she just frowned up at him in question. 

“I’m hungry.” 

It wasn’t much for first words, but the group of friends erupted into cheers of celebration anyway. 

Dinner was served shortly afterwards in a grand spectacle that Coran had somehow managed to orchestrate from New Altea with perfect ease. This year’s theme was ‘New Beginnings’, likely in tribute to both Keith’s new daughter as well as the approaching due date for the royal twins. Shiro had Allura on his right and Ku on his left during the dinner, and though he knew he was never meant to be the center of attention, it felt slightly jarring to be ignored. Keith held command of Ku’s attention and Lance held Allura’s, so Shiro found himself staring down at his plate more than once when the topics floating around touched on events he didn’t have any opinion on. 

It was by staring down at his plate and glumily moving around his food that Shiro noticed he suddenly had a lot more bitter Snar berries than he remembered serving himself. He watched as Ku’s fork moved from her own plate to his, dumping yet more Snar berries. 

“Do you not like these?” Shiro asked. He glanced over, noticing that Keith had turned his attention away for just a moment to answer Hunk’s question about Kosmo. 

Ku dumped another forkful onto Shiro’s plate. “For you.” 

Cryptic answer aside, Ku continued to shovel over all the berries until her plate was clean of them. Shiro was content to watch the growing pile of tiny red berries, really, since he was wondering where this was going, but eventually Keith turned his attention back and saw what his daughter was doing. 

“Ku. Leave Shiro be.” Keith frowned. 

“I’m sharing.” There was a borderline snarl to her voice, like she dared Keith to fight her on her generosity. “You said a family shares.” 

“If you don’t want to eat your berries, let me have them.” Keith cut through the kit’s bullshit in a blink, frowning when she still refused to budge on the matter. 

The last thing Shiro wanted was for Keith and his freshly-healed daughter to  _ fight _ . He scooped up the berries with his own fork and brought them to his lips. “It’s fine. See? I’ll eat them.” Ku only smiled after the first bite was gone. But now it was Keith that looked decidedly unhappy. 

Before he finished chewing, Ku reached over and speared a piece of beef still lingering on Shiro’s plate. “Family shares,” she stated before shallowing it down in one go. 

Then, for reasons Shiro would ponder the rest of the night, she turned back to Keith and gave him a pointed look. In return, Keith covered his face with his hands and sighed. 

...

  
  


“Ku is definitely your daughter.” Shiro later remarked when it was just him, Keith, an empty bottle of nunvil, and a particularly red sunset.

Keith looked mournfully at the bare remains of his glass before turning to Shiro. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

How they ended up the last ones awake, Shiro couldn’t guess. They were both bound to old habits, maybe, while the others had been allowed the luxury of growing soft. He let his gaze linger on the blooming colors of the sunset before saying, “She’s loveable.” 

Keith snorted with disbelief, fond even in that. “Which part was loveable for you, exactly? All she’s done is snarl at you and steal the good stuff off your dinner plate.” 

“She knew I liked bitter foods.” 

“Wow. One whole thing.” Keith laughed that short, breathless laugh of his as he grabbed a second bottle of nunvil from the center of the table. He poured himself another full glass before offering to do the same for Shiro. When Shiro raised his glass in silent thanks, Keith kept his eyes downcast as he poured to the rim. 

“I know things weren’t ideal — I’m glad you still like her.” Keith continued. “You’ll probably see a lot more of us with the new Blades base going up on Earth. Even with how she is, she’s still a kit; it’s good to have familiar, friendly faces around when settling like this. It’s the least I can offer her.” 

Keith trailed off and Shiro was content with the silence, but only for a moment. “I didn’t know you were linked with that project.” It wasn’t a betrayal, necessarily, but Shiro wondered how many more secrets Keith was withholding. 

“I’m not settling for good like the other Blades. Just long enough for Ku to get decent schooling. I don’t mind the break, honestly. It feels like I’ve been running since Voltron disappeared and I -” Keith swallowed, eyes trained on the same sunset Shiro was watching. “I’ll return to the stars one day.” 

Shiro wondered if the stars would mourn the loss, however brief. 

“They’re not the same without you, Shiro.” Keith said it so quietly it felt like a dream — what Shiro wanted him to whisper. But when Shiro turned his head and saw Keith watching him, haloed by the last dying light, he knew it to be true. “Nothing’s been the same.” 

“Keith—” Shiro ached to say something reassuring, though Keith looked more amused than anything, like life was one big cruel joke. 

But Keith didn’t let him finish the thought, instead closing the gap between them with a kiss. 

Shiro met him without meaning to and lost himself in the sudden warmth between them. When it finally broke, Keith shoved aside the chair separating them and claimed Shiro’s lap as his new seat, quick to kiss away Shiro’s startled gasp. 

Something should have been said. 

Either one of them could have cleared the air but it felt impossible in that moment; that complete and total understanding that bridged between them, buried in the press of their kisses, was nameless. Love was the closest thing Shiro could think of, and that still felt too subdued. 

“I was scared then,” Keith gasped against Shiro’s neck when it became too much, “but I’m not scared now. I’ll be brave for you as many times as it takes.” 

When Keith pressed his lips to Shiro’s ear and whispered those three words he ached for, Shiro answered in kind with a bravery he wished he'd had five years prior. 

They stayed like that for a bit longer, sharing secrets that should have come to light ages ago. Shiro is still grateful to hear the truth, even if he is ashamed when Keith starts to cry. 

“I didn’t remember.” Shiro whispered. “I’m sorry.” 

“I thought I ruined everything.” Keith sobbed in turn. “Watching you marry  _ him _ , I—” 

Keith demanded another kiss and Shiro was too weak to deny him anything. 

When his hands moved downward, desperate, and unbuckled Shiro’s belt, Shiro couldn’t help but laugh. It was watery and choked, but there, amused as he managed to tell Keith about how much he’d fantasized about this. The sun was just starting to set when Keith took them both in hand and left Shiro an absolute mess. They panted against each other, lips an inch apart and hips rolling up as the pleasure built to a climax that Shiro was almost scared to reach. 

Keith opened his eyes at the last second to watch Shiro, and that alone was enough for him to finish, striping hot cum onto Keith’s hands and shirt with his desperation. When Keith slowed his hand, Shiro meant to ask what he could do to make Keith feel good too when the other man just leaned forward, sunk his teeth into the curve of Shiro’s neck, and came too. 

Shiro held him through each heave of his breath and tremble through his body. 

It was impossible to clean up what had dried onto their clothes, so they left in their soiled clothes and hoped that it was late enough no one else was walking the halls. Shiro walked Keith to his quarters and kissed him goodnight before turning to return to his own room. 

It was decidedly disheartening until Keith caught his hand and pulled him into another kiss. 

“Will I see you tomorrow?” Shiro asked when Keith let him breathe. 

“Yeah.” Keith sealed his promise with another kiss, voice so soft Shiro barely heard what followed, “I’m not scared anymore.” 

…

Ku was easy to win over; she had known Shiro meant well since their time on Atlus' bridge.

Despite that, she was still hesitant to fully touch Shiro — either because of who he is and what he meant to Keith, or because he was broken. 

But then, on the opening date for the Marmora Sanctuary, Shiro felt her tiny fingers grasp around his thumb and hold steady. He looked down at the wee girl, curious, and found her staring right back with those deep blue eyes that still felt too cold. 

Still, she smiled when he reached down and scooped her up onto his shoulders to watch Keith give his speech. 

She curled against his chest and purred the entire way home. 

She let him listen to her favorite Kpop CD. 

She showed him the scars along her neck and traced his with a knowing reverence. 

With her final acceptance, everything fell into place. Their family was not perfect, but the strength was there, following them from home to the stars and back again. Love settled in the rifts that time had formed and allowed them to finally heal.

“You smell of death.” Ku said, once, when Shiro paused too long during story time. That spitfire nature continued to charm Shiro with each passing day, but the kit still had a way of breaking his heart. Even with a ring now on his left hand, Shiro felt that she sometimes still saw the shadow that remained inside him. 

“But?” Shiro asked. He knew the words were hard for her to find and patiently waited as she grasped them. 

“I do too,” she added, eyes kept on the book in her hand. 

Shiro waited until Ku fell asleep before he tucked her in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Perhaps death was the unifying factor of their family. Maybe it was just Ku being Ku and understanding things past her age group. Shiro didn’t know. He probably wouldn’t, for a long, long time. As he made his way to the master bedroom, he wondered if even Keith knew. 

When Keith came up an hour later and curled around Shiro, he decided to ask. 

“Might be both. What is our family if not steeped in mystery?” Keith murmured.

“I guess.” Shiro stroked his hand through Keith’s hair and waited for him to relax before adding, “Do we have enough mystery for one more?” 

Now Keith just looked grumpy with the need to sleep. “One more what?” 

Shiro couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his husband curled against him, eyes scrunched closed and brow furrowed with determination to fall asleep. “....one more kit.” 

“Really?” Keith blinked up at Shiro, slightly awed by the request. “You’re serious?” 

“Mhmm. If you want.” 

“I— yeah.” Keith sat up just so he could assure Shiro he was awake and listening. Not that there had ever been an issue with Keith ignoring Shiro, but he appreciated the extra mile all the same. Should have expected it, he guessed, considering the unshed tears in Keith’s amethyst eyes. 

“Do you think Ku wants a brother or a sister?” Shiro asked as he flopped back on the mattress, dragging Keith down with him. The both landed with a small bounce. 

Keith huffed, his smile barely hidden. “Could just ask her.” 

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” 

Now Keith really did laugh. “You wanted to keep a secret from our telepathic daughter?” 

“...she never says anything, so I keep forgetting.” It was an admission that nearly killed Shiro to say, especially when Keith just laughed harder. 

They tumbled into giggles, Shiro eventually convinced it was worth laughing over, and met for a kiss. Keith seemed determined to make it into something more but Shiro had one more question. 

“Are you happy?” Shiro asked. 

Keith, with his cheek pressed to Shiro’s chest and hair artfully tousled, looked like a dream. Shiro watched as he sat up on his elbows and kissed him, once, quiet as he whispered after, “In this reality and all others, Shiro, I am happy when I am with you.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me at @FormSheith!


End file.
